Mechanism for coloring address plates



May 16, 1944.

J. H. GIBBS MEcHANisM FOR coLonme ADDRESS PLATES Filed July 9, 1942 2Sheets-Sheet l May 16, 1944. J. H. GIBBS MEQHANISM FOR COLORING ADDRESSPLATES Filed July 9, 1942' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. BY I011 E 612%5MMZE flTTORNEYS Y Patented May 16, 1944 John Henry Gibbs, Jamaica, N.Y., assignor to The Readers Digest Association, Inc., Pleasantville, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application July 9, 1942, Serial No.450,266

4 Claims.

This invention relates to the coloring of t e lettering of addressplates, such as those used in addressing machines for magazines and thelike.

Such address plates are of sheet or plate metal with the address andother indicia pressed into relief on the front face and correspondinglyinset on the rear face. To render the marking easily legible it isdesirable to color the inset or depressed lettering on the rear side sothat it will be in contrast with the metal. This then will show clearlythe lettering to be impressed by the plate on the wrapper or envelope inthe addressing machine.

The object of this invention is to provide t e depressed lettering ofthe plate with a clear, legible coloring easily and quickly andinexpensively applied in the depressions of the rear surface.

Further objects of the invention, particularly in the provision ofmechanism automatically applying the coloring of the plates will appearfrom the following description taken in connection with the acompanyingdrawings, in which Fig. l is a diagrammatic elevational view with partsin section showing mechanism for feeding and coloring the addressplates;

' Fig. 2 is a rear view of a plate;

Fig. 3 is a section of same taken on line 3-3 of. Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing the plate in the guide channels inposition for the application of the coloring;

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4 showing the removal of the excesscoloring; and

Fig. 6 is'a face View of the plate showing the coloring as applied inFig. 4:.

In the system of this invention the coloring ink is sprayed in atomizedform on the rear surface of the plate lettering so that a coating of thecoloring is applied over the entire sprayed surface including thedepressions formed by the lettering and the surrounding surfaces. Thiscoating is quickly dried and after drying is removed from the flatsurfaces of the plate so that the coloring remains only in thedepressions formed by the lettering and other indicia. The drying of thecolored coating fixes it permanently within the lettered depressions,and at the same time permits it to be quickly and thoroughly removedfrom the flat surrounding surfaces of the plate. The lettering thus isdistinctly and sharply defined, easily legible and durable in use of theplate.

Apparatus for automatically feeding and coloring the plates isillustrated in Fig. 1 where I0 is a box like table having supports orside pieces H and an open top T supporting a plate guide or track Gformed by oppositely facing channels M with their open grooves facingeach other and dimensioned and positioned to fit the opposite side edgesof the plate S as illustrated for instance in Figs. 4 and 5. The platesare fed in end to end contact along the guides formed by these channels,the rear or indented surface of the plate facing downward. The uncoloredplates are assembled in a magazine I5, the lower end of which has anopening [6 of full plate Width through the upper flanges 0f the channelsI4. A sliding feed. plate ll mounted on the plate l8 reciprocateshorizontally a distance slightly greater than the plate length and hasa. cutout surface l9 in alinement with the lower edges of the grooves ofchannel I4 so that as the plate is reciprocated it will feed the platesin succession into and along the guide G, Each plate in turn pushes theline of plates ahead of it so that the entire series of plates isintermittently moved along the guide to the discharge station 2!] wherethe colored plates are delivered from the machine. The coloring isapplied to the under surface of the plate at the intermediate point Cwhere the air brush 2! applies its atomized spray of the coloring as theplate pauses in its movement along the guide G. This spray is finelyatomized by the air jet of a Paasche air painting equipment includingthe compressor 22 driven by the motor 23 maintaining the supply ofcompressed air in the tank 24. The compressed air passes through tube 25to the separator and governor 26 and is then divided into two branches,one leading through air hose 2! to the ink supply and the other throughthe pipe 28 to the air jet. The air hose 27 is connected to the ink tank29 to supply the coloring ink to the nozzle 2| through the ink hose 3|].The air tube 28 is connected through the control valve 3i to the airbrush 32 to form the air jet used to atomize and project the spray.Control valve 3| is provided with an arm 33 which in closed position ofthe valve is drawn counter-clockwise against stop 34 by spring 31.

To time the coloring operation to synchronize it with the presentationof the plate in the path of the spray disk 40 is drivencounter-clockwise through the gears 4| by the shaft 42 belt-driven bythe motor 43. The disk 40 carries the pin 44 to which one end of thefeed rod 46 is pivoted, the other end of the rod being pivoted to lug 41projecting downward from the under surface of the feed slide I'I. As thedisk 40 is rotated the feed slide I1 is reciprocated and the plates aresuccessively brought into position at station C. The arm 33 of the valve3| is then engaged by the lower end of the rod 46 as the disk 40continues its rotation, and this tips the air valve 3| clockwise to openposition and for a very short time temporarily to supply air to the airjet while the plate is stationary at the station C. The pin 44 is sopositioned that the coloring jet is formed with the plate in the path ofthe jet and pausing between the intermediate feeding movements.

As shown in Fig. 4 the bottom of guide G is preferably provided with amask plate 49 having an opening sized to confine the spray of the jet tothe lettered surfaces. An exhaust opening 56 communicates by the pipingwith an exhaust fan maintaining a constant suction to draw out thevapors from the spray and the drying of the plates. Preferably the guideG will have a removable protecting cover above the guide and retainingthe spray and spray vapors against escape.

The applied coloring is dried over the entire sprayed surface, thedrying either being at room temperature or being accelerated by anydesired heating.

To remove the dried coloring from around and between the depressedlettering a rotary wire brush 55 is provided mounted on a bell crank 56pivoted at 56 (Figs. 1 and 5) on the bracket 51 and having its end 58held in contact with the cam 59 on shaft 42, spring 6| tending to turnthe bell crank 56 clockwise (Fig. 5). As the cam surface of largerdiameter engages the end 58 the bell crank 56 is tippedcounter-clockwise (Fig. 5) to depress the brush 55 away from the platesurfaces. At the portion of the cam of least diameter the bell crank 56tips clockwise (Fig. 5) to a position bringing the tips of the wirebristles against the under surface of a plate as it passes to the lefttoward the discharge point 20. The rotation of the brush 55 causes thebristle tips to clear the coloring from the flat surfaces of the plate,leaving the coloring in the depressions as illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and5. The cam 59 is so positioned and dimensioned as to permit the brush tocontact with the under surface of the plate at the beginning of theplate movement and maintain it there until the finish of the movement,then causing the bell crank 56 to move back counter-clockwise out ofcontact with the plate during the pause between the feeding movements.To eject the colored plates a bell crank 63 is provided pivoted at 64 tothe bracket 65 and having its lower end 66 drawn by the spring 66against the cam 69 on shaft 42. The upper end 61 of the bell crank isformed as a tappet moving downward between the channels M to engage theplate and press it downward.

As the cam 69 raises the lower end 68 of the bell crank 63 the upperoffset end forming the tappet 61 is moved downward to eject the platewith the coloring in the recessed lettering.

In the system of this invention the plates are colored in a single,continuous sequence through the machine. The jet of the coloring isallocated 1 to each plate as it pauses above the spraying .nozzle andthe prompt drying fixes the coloring in place within a very small lengthof travel of the plate. The removal of the excess coloring by the wirebrush flakes this coloring off in a dustlike residue which may beaccumulated and disposed of as desired, and the wire tips of the brushdo not in any way disturb the very smooth surfacing of the coloringdeposited within the recesses of the lettering. At the completion of thetreatment the plate is in finished form, no further cleaning or dryingbeing required.

I claim:

1.' In mechanism for coloring impressed plates in combination with aguide for the plates, of means for feeding the plates along said guidewith their impressed surfaces facing downward; color spraying meansforming a wet coating on said surfaces of said plates, means conveyingsaid coated plates and permitting said coating to dry, rotary means forengaging the surfaces of said plates to remove the dry coating fromaround the impressions while leaving the coating fixed within saidimpressions, and means for delivering said plates with the impressionscolored.

2. Mechanism as set forth in claim 1 in which the color spraying meansis an air spray directing an atomized stream vertically upward againstthe under surface of the plate.

3. Mechanism as set forth in claim 1 in which the rotary means removingthe dry coating comprises a wire brush having a mounting automaticallymovable into contact with the plate surface at one end of the plate andretracted away from said surface at the other end of said plate.

4. Mechanism for coloring impressed plates as set forth in claim 1 inwhich the means conveying the plates during drying and the means forengaging the surfaces of the plates to remove the dry coating maintainthe plates with the impressed surfaces facing downward during saiddrying and removal of the dried coloring.

JOHN HENRY GIBBS.

